How do I know if I have enough BIO.

[rdefino]

I have 75 FOWLR 80lbs of live rock and 80lbs of live sand. 2 aquaclear 500's, one with a bag of bio cube and foam, and the other with charcoal and foam. How do I know if there is enough BIO for the tank.

[nodoubt471]

how long has it been set up for? and by bio i am assuming you mean biological filtration. that LR and LS should take care of most of the bioload, the 500's are a nice addition. i am assuming it is cycled?

[Biggen]

The bacterial level ("BIO" as you call it) automatically adjusts to changing conditions (within reason) in the tank. As you add fish, the bacteria multiply to cope with the additional ammonia and nitrite. As you remove fish, the bacterial die off as their food source has been slightly diminished.

You know your biological filter is working properly when you don't get a reading of ammonia or nitrite with your test kits.

[MarkW19]

When a new fish is added (one at a time), is there a risk of a small ammonia spike before the bacteria catch up?

[Biggen]

is there a risk of a small ammonia spike before the bacteria catch up?

Yes, however, in an established aquarium, the impact should be minor and the bacteria should "catch up" fairly quickly.

[MarkW19]

My aquarium's been going for 7 months...

I guess if I only add one fish at a time, it shouldn't be a problem at all (after all, how could you get fish in your tank at all if this was the case! :P). And, coral beauty's/royal grammas aren't exactly the most sensitive of fish :P

[rdefino]

Thanks for all the replies. It has been running for 3mths. I added a Magnum 350 with the micron filter. WOW. It has removed any the small particles that caused the cloudy look. The tank looks much better only after 24hrs. I have a Remora pro coming next week. That should clean up any other unwanted stuff.

[jaiden]

IF you think ammonia is high after adding a fish, just do a water change.